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Pros: comfort, refinement, strong brand image
Cons: understated cabin and exterior
Although the new Santa Fe looks like it’s an update of the fourth-generation SUV launched in 2018, Hyundai says that it’s built on a new platform, so it is referred to as an all-new car. In fairness, the cabin is brand new, though the big news is the addition of plug-in hybrid power for the very first time in the model.
Hyundai Santa Fe Design
The exterior of the new Santa Fe is not massively dissimilar to its predecessor, though the bumpers front and rear are new, and the lights have been restyled, too. Meanwhile, the new car features body colour where the old had black plastic – notably on the wheelarches and at the bottoms of the doors. There’s a single specification for the plug-in hybrid model that includes a new design of 19-inch alloy wheel, whereas the diesel versions come with 20-inch rims as standard. Roof rails are fitted across the line-up.
Hyundai Santa Fe Interior
Inside is where it appears most of the budget for updating the car went, as it’s a totally new design. The Santa Fe is still a practical seven-seater, even as a hybrid, but Hyundai has managed to carve out a few millimetres’ extra passenger room here and there. More noticeable, however, is the new dashboard and centre console. The latter slopes up to meet the main fascia and it allows control of most sub-systems in the car. It is a little button-heavy, which means you have to take your eyes off the road to see what you’re pressing, but at least it feels of high quality.
In the middle of the dash is an easy-to-use touchscreen, while the instruments, housed in a conventional looking cowling, are also digitised, and they change appearance depending on driving mode.
Hyundai Santa Fe Performance & Drive
The diesel version sticks with the tried-and-tested 2.2-litre engine of old, mated with an automatic gearbox and available with front- or all-wheel drive. New to the Santa Fe, however, is a plug-in hybrid option. It’s made up of a turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, an automatic gearbox, a powerful electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. For decent performance, when the engine and gearbox give their most, peak power is 265hp, backed up by 350Nm of torque. Just as importantly, it’s a quiet powertrain, even when the engine is running.
As a plug-in hybrid, however, this car’s party trick is the ability to run on electric power only, for over 50 kilometres. Just bear in mind that the diesel variants come with a higher towing capacity.
Hyundai Santa Fe Pricing
Come July this year, the plug-in hybrid model will no longer be eligible for the €5,000 SEAI grant, but, at €55,945, it still undercuts both diesel models, which start at €60,895. And though its wheels are a little less glitzy, the rest of the specification is generous to say the least.
Carzone Verdict: 4/5
Most family buyers that have relied on big SUVs to cart their brood around for the past decade or so don’t need the long-distance economy of a big diesel engine. A plug-in hybrid is particularly suited to those that drive short distances most of the time and have an easy way to regularly charge up the battery pack. That’s where the new Santa Fe comes in. The hybrid model could well become the default choice.